"Nagisa, wake up! It's our stop." Rei nudged the dozing blonde boy who sat beside him on the less than comfortable bus seat, a bit reluctant to bother him. He had been enjoying gazing at his small companion's calm, peaceful face as he leaned against Rei's structured shoulder. Wide scarlet eyes now met his, instantly alert before softening with the recognition of his best friend.

"Rei-chan? This is my stop. Aren't we going to your house?" Nagisa seemed genuinely confused as Rei gingerly helped him out of his seat.

"We must go by your house to pick up your overnight supplies, of course."

"Oh, Rei, there is nothing I need there. I can just borrow a pillow from you! What else would I need?" The note of panic in Nagisa's tone was apparent.

"Sleepwear, toothbrush, hair comb, that plush penguin you insist that you can't sleep without..." Rei listed in a monotone, struggling to ignore Nagisa's pleading expression. Even Nagisa the master manipulator couldn't hide the terror in his eyes. It broke Rei's heart to hurt him like this, but he had to understand what was happening, and he couldn't help his friend by standing off to the side and watching this horrible mess play out. He had to get involved, and quick. "It's only logical, Nagisa. We are going to your house. Now."

Nagisa's pestering fell flat at Rei's decisive proclamation. His gaze fell as they walked along the road for a second, until he perked up again. His usual cheerful trot was present. Rei saw through it easily. As they drew closer, Nagisa's small hand found Rei's, gripping it tightly as if it were a life preserver in shark infested waters. The front door loomed in front of them. Nagisa attempted a bright grin directed at his taller friend, but Rei wasn't fooled for an instant as he reached up to ring the doorbell.

The door swung open instantly, a small woman with radiant golden hair standing in the doorframe before them. "Nagisa, dear! Hello there, Rei. How was school? And swim?" She pulled her son into a suffocating embrace.

"They were both great, Mom, as always." Nagisa relaxed into his mother's arms, a real smile spreading across his face for once that day. Rei finally relaxed, beginning to feel like this might all work itsself out. "You're home two days early! I'm so glad you're back! I missed you."

"I missed you too, dear. Did you and Takao have fun with the house to yourselves for a while?"

"...Yeah. We had a great time." Rei felt his good mood shatter with one look at Nagisa's face. Surprisingly, his mother did not seem to notice his drop in enthusiasm. Nagisa pulled back from their hug, grabbing Rei's hand and starting towards the stairs. "I'm sleeping over at Rei's tonight, Mom, is that okay?"

"Of course, sweetie."

Nagisa giggled childishly, eyes sparkling as he turned around and caught Rei's eyes. Rei was grinning himself. Nagisa's lightened mood was infectious. He bounded up the stairs and launched them through a clean white doorframe at the end of the hall. Rei sat on his small bed and watched as the young blonde sifted through his drawers, lifting out pajamas and socks and everything else he could possibly need before tossing them into a bag. "Okay, Rei-chan!" He piped, picking up the overflowing bag, "I'm read-"

"Going somewhere?" An icy, sadistic voice questioned from across the room. Nagisa jumped, the color rushing from his excited face before he turned around to meet its owner. Rei stood up instinctively, startled to see a tall figure filling the doorway. He looked so out of place in the bright, cheery room, with his thick black bangs hanging over an unfriendly sneer. His dark eyes were crimson, like Nagisa's, but they lacked the bright, jovial quality that gave Rei butterflies in his stomach. His ominous irises made Rei's heart skip for another reason. Fear.

"H-hello, Takao..." Nagisa's gaze met the floor, the room flooding in thick silence. It wasn't like Nagisa to be at a loss for words. Rei felt something break inside of him as he met his eyes, so terrified and drained of their usual buoyancy. He shook with rage at what this older boy was doing to his friend. Scaring him, intimidating him... and what more? An image of the dark bruises lining Nagisa's slender arms clouded his vision. His fists clenched at his side, his cheeks reddening.

How alike the feelings of anger and love are. I feel the same physical reactions to both: heart pounding, breath heavier, blood pulsing through my veins so intensely it's notable. You can research it in a lab as many times as you want. The measureable results will always be the same: increased heart palpitations, higher respiratory rate, all the things you learn for a day in health class and forget as soon as class ends. That is, if you aren't a study freak like me. But there is no way to scientifically describe the difference between the two emotions. There is no way to examine the tight knot of anticipation that explodes into a million butterflies as soon as you see the face of your one and only, no testable hypothesis to explain the sharp, searing knife of fury that digs deep into your gut as soon as you catch a glimpse of the one you loath.

Yes, how similar the two are, in one sense. Rei mused to himself. And yet not at all.

Fear alone held Rei in his spot for the rest of the awkward exchange of greetings. Takao lifted his eyebrows in an unimpressed way as Rei refused his furious impulses, as if to question his ability to protect his helpless friend. The older teen slouched out of the room then, finally relieving them of the palpable tensity that had hung in the air like a thick, deadly virus. But his presence followed Rei for the rest of the night.

Well hello to anybody who is reading this! Sorry I have taken soooo long to update- schoolwork has kept me so busy lately. I hope you can enjoy this chapter, I will try to wrap up the story soon.

(ps. Do I describe peoples' eyes too much? Sorry if that bothers you...)

Thanks for reading! And leaving honest reviews! :)